INNEC LOGOThe countdown to Nigeria’s 2027 general elections has entered another critical phase as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) extends the deadline for political parties to upload the names of their governorship and State Houses of Assembly candidates.
The electoral commission has moved the submission deadline from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026, giving political parties an additional three days to complete the process.
The extension, according to INEC, followed appeals from political parties seeking more time to conclude the submission of their candidates. The commission announced the development in a statement issued on Sunday by the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
INEC said the original deadline was contained in its revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election.
“The submission window, which, according to the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the general election, was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission stated.
It added that, “The extension follows growing appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the process.”
The three-day extension provides political parties with a final opportunity to address outstanding issues surrounding the nomination and electronic submission of candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.
With the political calendar gathering momentum, the candidate-upload process remains an important stage in determining the final line-up for the governorship and State Houses of Assembly contests. The development was reported by Channels Television, which cited the statement issued by INEC.
Meanwhile, attention has also shifted to Osun State, where INEC has concluded the collection of Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election. The commission announced the suspension of PVC collection in the state after an extended exercise designed to give eligible voters additional opportunities to obtain their cards.
According to INEC, voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced PVCs were given until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The commission explained that the deadline would enable it to compile the data of downloaded PVCs and establish the final statistics of collected cards ahead of the election.
“This is to allow the commission to compile the data of downloaded PVCs for final statistics of total PVCs collected ahead of the August 15th Osun governorship election,” INEC said.
INEC also addressed concerns surrounding PVCs reportedly taken away during an invasion of two collection centres in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas. The commission said replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to affected voters.
Importantly, INEC sought to reassure voters that the stolen physical cards would not provide access to the ballot.
“The commission wishes to state that replacement downloadable PVCs have been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas whose cards were carted away by hoodlums who invaded the two centres,” the commission stated. INEC further clarified that “the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.”
The PVC collection exercise in Osun began at the Registration Area level on July 22, with the initial deadline set for July 28.
However, complaints over large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters prompted the commission to extend the exercise to July 31 at the Registration Area level. The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level from August 1 to August 7, allowing more voters to complete the collection process.
As political parties race to meet the latest candidate-upload deadline and Osun voters prepare for Saturday's governorship election, INEC says it remains focused on delivering an electoral process that is credible and inclusive. The commission reiterated its commitment to conducting a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election in Osun State.
For the political parties, however, the clock is now firmly ticking. With Tuesday, August 11 set as the new deadline for uploading governorship and State Assembly candidates, parties have only a narrow window left to complete their submissions and ensure that their candidates are properly captured in the electoral process.
As Nigeria gradually moves closer to the 2027 general elections, every deadline now carries greater political significance, and INEC’s latest extension may prove to be another important milestone on the road to the next electoral cycle.
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